Alive, barely
by omalleyanatomy26
Summary: After working late one night Reid is attacked on his way home and brutally beaten. when they find him in the hospital they find out he has been paralyzed for good. Can they help him recover? PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm sorry guys but I just can't seem to stop with my CM stories! So many episodes that I watch I wonder "what if this happened to Reid?" lol, cause I'm sick like that.**

**Prologue**

It was late that night, everyone had gone home instead of Reid.

"Reid, honey," Garcia said before leaving. "You're only 25 years old, it's a friday night. Live a little!"

"I have a lot of work to catch up on," Reid mumbled. "You all well probably have a better time without me." Garcia sighed.

"I'm not going to be able to convince you, am I?"

Reid smiled as he looked up.

"'Fraid not," he replied.

She patted him on his shoulder.

"Don't stay up too late," she advised him. He nodded, already deep in his work.

"Kid coming?" Morgan asked, she shook his head.

"Determined to become a workaholic, it seems," she sighed. Morgan shook his head also.

"Kid needs a life outside the BAU, not good for him."

"You won't convince him to go, trust me," replied Garcia. "Come on, Emily and JJ are waiting for us in the car."

Hotch came out of his office and frowned at the light that was on one of the desks.

"Reid, is that you?"

"Sir?" Reid jumped.

"What are you working on?"

"Oh some reports I've been behind on." Hotch checked his watch.

"It's midnight."

"Is it really?" Reid adjusted his glasses as he glanced down at his wrist watch. "Oh it is."

"You should be out, it's a friday night."

"You're here too," Reid pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm old, you're still young. I thought you were going out with the team to the bar."

"I decided to stay behind and catch up on some paperwork so I don't have to do it on Monday."

"Well you should go home, it's late," Hotch advised him and Reid nodded as he started to clean up his desk. "Oh and Reid?" Hotch asked as the kid stood up.

"Yes sir?"

"Don't stay here this late again, not even on a weekday. You don't want to wind up like me."

"You're not so bad," Reid said with a smile and Hotch smiled back.

"I'll be the judge of that."

Both of them soon left, Reid on foot and Hotch in a taxi.

Reid slowly headed towards the subway he didn't notice the shadows behind him.

Before he knew what was happening he was jumped and dragged into the alley.

"Please, please don't," he begged. Unable to stop them he tried to protect himself as they started to hit him over and over again with the baseball bat, he laid curled, trying to proct his face, wondering when it'll end...


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took me so long to update! I decided to go a different direction with this story and not have him raped. **

The phone call caught him by surprise. Hotch had barely made it home when his apartment phone rang.

"This is Agent Hotchner..."His face fell and the briefcase dropped. "I'll be right there."

Shock filled him. He felt like he was falling through the floor. Everything was in slow motion.

He hailed another taxi to the hospital, it was easier getting around in the city that way instead of a car for him.

He tried to calm his breathing.

Ried would make it through this...He's Reid after all. He survived Tobias.

But this sounded even worse than Tobias.

He walked into the hospital. He had contacted Morgan,and because all of them were together at the bar all the members were on their way. Except for Gideon. He could imagine how hard Gideon would take this. Reid was like a son to him.

After calling Gideon he reached for the front desk.

"I'm here for Dr. Reid." He showed them his badge. "My name is Agent Hotch."

"The doctor willl be with you shortly," the receptionist said while smiling. Hotch nodded, still in a trance like state. He paced back and forth, getting more anxious by the minute. The door opened and in walked Morgan, Emily,Garcia, and JJ-panic written on all their faces.

"How is he?" Morgan asked and Hotch sighed.

"I wish I knew."

"Did you call Gideon?" Emily asked softly and Hotch nodded.

"Yes, he'll be here as soon as possible." He sank to the chair. A few minutes past. All of them were pacing, all anxious. Suddenly Gideon raced inside and spotted them, fear on his face. Fear was on everyone's face.

"What's happened to him?" Fatherly worry filled his voice.

"That's what we're waiting for," sighed Morgan

A doctor then arrived.

"Agent Hotch."

"That's me." Hotch waved while standing up. The doctor glanced at the others.

"And all of you are..."

"We're his family," Garcia snapped defensivly. Morgan placed a hand on Garcia's shoulder and showed the doctor his badge.

"We work with Agent Hotch."

The doctor nodded quickly.

"It appears Dr. Reid has substained a heavy beating. He has a severe concussion, broken ribs...but...it gets worse."

"Worse?" Gideon asked. "How is it worse?"

The doctor sighed. It was obviously painful for him to say.

"Tell us doctor," Hotch demanded, but gently.

"His back has been broken," the doctor said grimly. The stood there as the news sank in...His back broken...did that mean..."

"No," JJ whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Yes, I am afraid that Dr. Reid has been paralyzed...permenatly." The doctor stared at them. "I really and truly am sorry."

"You're wrong!" Morgan said angrily. "He...He can't be paralyzed! He has a job to do! He has to save lives!"

Gideon had sunk into a chair when the news had been told, letting it blanket him.

"I'm afraid won't be able to do that job anymore," sighed the Doctor.

JJ was crying, so was Garcia. Tears trickled down Emily's eyes as well.

"We'd like to see him," Gideon said as he stood up. He saw the shock and horror written in Morgan and Hotch's eyes as well as the others. The doctor nodded.

"He's still sleeping, so please do not wake him. He needs his rest."

They nodded, all of them numb. This was all happening so quickly.

They walked the room. Garcia was sobbing onto Morgan who's eyes were heated with anger. Anger to what those bastards did to Reid' slife. They didn't kill him, but they might as well have.

They entered the room. The beeping noise of the heart montior was the only thing telling them that he was still alive. He laid there, completly still, and his chest was covered in bandages, so was his head. His face was painted with black and blue. Gideon stared at him with intense sorrow in his eyes. Garcia broke down even more.

JJ was the first to walk up to him. She pulled up a chair next to him and squeezed Reid's hand and kissed him on the cheek. Slowly they all grabbed chairs and sat and waited for Reid to wake up.

Waited for things to go back tot he way they were, though they never would.

**Yes I am cruel to Reid, I just can't help it! I really think him being paralyzed is an interesting aspect to explore :)**


End file.
